46:(Bushmen). However, San did not use caves to shelter in, as most caves of Namibia have vertical entrances and also are situated on top of elevations. Caves were only used when they were accessible and allowed observation over approaching and surrounding area and also room was provided at entrance to shelter. Resources like water, bird’s eggs and honey were indeed used by the local people.
98:: The cave was first discovered and entered by Roger Ellis of the South African Spelaeological Association in 1986 during an expedition to discover new caves in the Otavi/Grootfontein/Tsumeb area. Researcher John Irish, an entomologist at the National Museum of Namibia and Dr. Jacques Martini of the South African Geological Survey Department conducted
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From 1963 research was done on various caves all over
Namibia. It was done by local people, but also a variety of researchers from Australia, Austria, France, Germany and many more countries. A problem with researchers from other countries is that they do not ensure that their results and reports are
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In several of these caves research has been done and published in various journals, but of a variety of caves the location is not commonly known, as the information got lost over the years. Some locations are also deliberately kept secret to protect the caves.
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research on the geology and fauna of the cave. In 1987 a cave diving expedition was led by Roger Ellis and
Charles Maxwell to explore the underwater extent of the cave. Dragon's Breath Cave was subsequently surveyed and listed in the
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colonial administration troops were interested in caves, as they provided in remote areas water supply for transport animals. Cave pools which were accessible were used as water points for police patrols and resistance fighters alike.
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As years passed, landowners became interested in caves, as due to WW1 and WW2 nitrate was regarded a strategic resource and could no longer be used in fertilizers. Nitrate minerals were replaced by bird
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The caves known to local people were reported by early explorers and travelers. The caves of
Namibia are not reputed for their beauty, but for their practical and curiosity reasons.
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147:. This cave contained some of the oldest pieces of mobile art ever discovered in southern Africa, radiocarbon dated from 27,500 to 25,500 BP.
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guano as alternative. In the period of 1935 to 1942 more than 10 000 tons of bat guano was extracted from
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National
Monuments in Namibia: An Inventory of Proclaimed National Monuments in the Republic of Namibia
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A very common belief is that caves were used as shelter places by the
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available in
Namibia and so valuable information is then lost.
19:, a country in south-western Africa, has a total of 124 known
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harbours the only known mainland population of a cavefish (
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143:, approximately 250 kilometres (160 mi) southwest of
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269:"Descending into another world: Cave diving in Namibia"
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in 1967, the only caves in
Namibia with that status
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125:: Both of these lakes were created by collapsing
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334:. Gamsberg Macmillan. pp. 23–24.
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245:. National Geographic. Archived from
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302:Auf den Spuren der ältesten Kunst.
129:caves, and are submerged in water.
23:, 41 of which are situated in the
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267:Springer, Marc (27 May 2009).
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70:, but also smaller caves like
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49:Throughout 1882 to 1915, the
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230:History of caves in Namibia
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243:"Dragon's Breath, Namibia"
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107:book as the largest non-
82:and others, were mined.
328:Voigt, Andreas (2004).
185:) have been declared a
232:Retrieved 31 July 2012
210:Retrieved 31 July 2012
208:Namibian cave register
105:Guinness World Records
169:in the centre of the
158:) in Southern Africa.
150:Aigamas Cave in the
96:Dragon's Breath Cave
156:Clarias cavernicola
152:Otjozondjupa region
25:Otjozondjupa Region
369:Geology of Namibia
313:Allgemeine Zeitung
308:2013-10-04 at the
274:Allgemeine Zeitung
228:NamibWeb (2012).
206:NamibWeb (2012).
187:national monument
139:of south-western
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364:Caves of Namibia
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299:Wiebke Schmidt:
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277:. Archived from
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90:Notable caves
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283:. Retrieved
279:the original
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251:. Retrieved
247:the original
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183:Grootfontein
165:in southern
145:Keetmanshoop
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72:Nooitgedacht
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48:
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29:
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317:May 2, 2008
163:Ghaub Caves
123:Lake Guinas
68:Arnhem cave
358:Categories
341:9991605932
253:2012-08-28
194:References
109:subglacial
44:San people
285:30 August
306:Archived
127:dolomite
141:Namibia
135:in the
35:History
17:Namibia
338:
175:Tsumeb
76:Otgrot
179:Otavi
80:Valle
60:guano
21:caves
336:ISBN
287:2013
161:the
121:and
64:bat
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215:^
181:–
177:–
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